Getting to the pass-
well, it wasn’t easy.
it required pain, sweat and many many tears shed from yours truly.
i cry a lot, remember
ultimately, however, I needed a little help.
from my friend-
the mountain pony.
technically, we cheated a little,
since we didn’t make it up and over the pass using only our own two legs.
Deciding to ride a horse to the top was a hard decision-
i’m stubborn, and wanted to do it own my own.
however, my head still felt like a battered drum,
and I was not in a position to hike back to a lower elevation,
wait a couple days,
and try again.
I was ready to move on.
Once we made up our minds to hire horses,
we were then faced with the question of payment.
the details of this transaction are a little hazy,
and so, I will spare you from this part of the story.
all I remember is that it took well over one hour to reach a price we were all comfortable with.
these guys were just as set on a price as we were.
we quickly packed our bags,
brushed our teeth,
and got on our way.
Although the horses were hired to take us to the top,
they would not be taking us down to Muktinath.
that downward journey we had to do all on our own.
but, i’ve gotten ahead of myself…
so, we were in the saddle,
and on our way.
anyone that knows me, knows my love for all things horses.
you can imagine my delight when we were joined by little Micheal,
a two month old foal.
little one was the baby to the horse I was riding,
and so, was glued to my side the entire way up.
the heartiness of these animals,
literally, from birth,
is incredible.
unfortunately, the ride went by way too fast.
since we got a late start,
we were in quite a hurry to make it to the top,
insuring that we would have enough time to get down before the weather changed.
the most spectacular views I had even seen,
it was breathtaking.
and, over in an instant.
but, we made it.
5,416 meters
these mountains changed me.
this trek changed me.
I left a little piece of my heart behind,
forever with the mountains.
and, I started a new love affair with these rising giants-
not just these,
but all others,
all the mountains of this Earth.
we took 5 minutes to take it all in,
snap a couple photos,
and say goodbye to our new friends.
taking over 6 hours to reach the top,
we knew we had to be on our way,
back down again, to the other side.
Cassie says
October 13, 2012 at 6:07 amawesome, amazing, and i'm so glad i could see these photos. how i'd love to experience a climb like this. i don't know how you couldn't leave a little piece of your heart with those mountains. 🙂
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures says
August 29, 2012 at 1:35 amI have recently been transformed by mountains myself! This is seriously the most amazing experience!!!!!
Alyx says
August 28, 2012 at 11:06 pmWould you say those 6 hours were worth it?! Because it totally looks liek they were. 🙂
picadaisy says
August 28, 2012 at 8:02 pmWhoa, the scenery is amazing!
Jenna says
August 27, 2012 at 9:13 pmWow! Absolutely incredible – I can't even imagine what it would have been like to see in person. The other day I saw a headline somewhere that said independent treks to base camp aren't going to be allowed from September anymore. Can it be true???
xxx
Jenna